Olympic Champion Veronica Campbell-Brown (Second left) shares a moment with husband and fellow athlete, Omar Brown (left), Dr Curline Christie (right), principle of St Andrew Technical, Heida Cooke- Benjamin, acting principle of Irwin High School, during a launch of the Veronica Campbell-Brown Foundation at Terra Nova Hotel yesterday. – Ricardo Markyn/Satff Photographer.
Sprint queen launches foundation to help schoolgirls
André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter (Jamaica Gleaner)
Jamaican sprint queen and UNESCO ambassador for gender equality, Veronica Campbell-Brown, yesterday delivered on her promise, by launching her foundation at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston, pledging a yearly contribution of $1.2 million to four local schoolgirls.
Campbell-Brown, who first made her intentions public after she received the RJR Foundation Sportswoman of the Year award in January, announced the benefits and criteria for selection and also announced that this year’s four recipients will come from her alma mater Vere Technical, Troy High, St Andrew Technical High and Irwin High schools.
The Veronica Campbell-Brown (VCB) Foundation will provide funds for books, fees and living assistance to the recipients over a four-year period. For their part, the students must maintain a B average and must also be involved in extracurricular activities at their school, church or within their community, in order to remain
eligible for the scholarship. This extracurricular activity does not have to be sport.